Places in which many people congregate or attend, such as workplace and educational facilities and institutions, far too often come under attack by weapon wielding persons and those wishing to do harm to an individual or group of individuals. When such an institution or facility is under attack or the threat of an attack, a quick response by those managing or administering the facility or institution is often the best way to minimize the impact of an attack. However, facilities and institutions often do not have an effective way to quickly respond to a threat or an attack from persons from outside or from within the facility or institution.
The problem becomes particularly troublesome when a facility or institution is an educational institution. Parents entrust that their children are safe while attending school, whether it be a public school, private school, or institution of higher learning. School administrators may have a plan to deal with a threat or an actual attack, but the plan may not facilitate a quick response or containment of a dangerous situation and may not facilitate delivery of information to emergency responders.
Thus, there is a need for systems and methods that allow for schools to quickly respond to threats and dangerous situations in order to mitigate the effects of such threats and dangerous situations. There is a further need for systems and methods that allow facility administrators, managers, or security personnel to quickly and effectively place the facility or a portion of the facility into a lockdown mode and to convey information to first responders and other emergency personnel.